Category: Director General

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), held an international conference on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, in the presence several representatives and officials of the education ministries in several Member States.

During his opening address, on Tuesday, November 9, 2022, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stressed the importance of redoubling and unifying efforts to achieve the common aspiration for the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Dr. AlMalik explained that ICESCO and OECD seek to establish distinguished educational systems to create healthy competition among Member States to enhance the quality of educational standards and ensure their efficiency.

He pointed out the importance of the availability of accurate data for countries, as it represents an essential tool for developing effective policies in the field of education, highlighting the importance of the PISA program in evaluating the education systems of the participating countries and raising awareness among students about the need for basic knowledge and skills that would enable them to fully participate in social and economic life.

For his part, Andreas Schleicher, Director of OECD Education and Skills, reviewed the Organization’s efforts to promote the quality of education through the PISA assessment, which relies on a set of accurate and comprehensive criteria for the elements of the educational process to study and analyze all challenges that hinder the progress of some countries in achieving quality in education.

The high-level session of the conference on enhancing the results of learners in the ICESCO Member States witnessed distinguished addresses on contribution mechanisms that evaluate “PISA” to keep pace with global requirements and develop education policies in the Islamic world. Dr. Hassan Al-Muhairi, the representative of the United Arab Emirates, stressed the importance of exchanging experiences in the field of education at the local and global levels to enhance the curricula. Mr. Ahmed Al Shuaibi, the representative of the Kingdom of Morocco, reviewed Morocco’s experience in raising the level of education quality assessment to keep pace with modern technological developments. Mr. Amour El-Tayeb, the representative of the Republic of Tunisia, explained the relationship between the process of assessing learners and its connection to real-life skills.

Dr. Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Suhaimi, the representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reviewed the Kingdom’s experience in strengthening the assessment process by developing an external body that follows up on the performance of educational institutions to help them meet their requirements and qualify teachers’ capabilities. Dr. Wan Risuha Bint Ali, the representative of the State of Malaysia, identified the challenges facing education in her country, mainly the gap between students and the solutions to address it. For his part, Mr. Massar Diop, the representative of the State of Senegal, explained that the educational systems must rely on a proactive vision to meet the challenges of the future and to benefit from the experiences of countries where the means of education have been developed.

The conference included two discussion sessions; the first focused on the development of the PISA system into a global mechanism that meets the needs of the twenty-first century, while the second session touched upon empowering educational institutions and teachers through PISA assessment.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received the two prominent plastic artists, Dr. Rashid Diab and Mr. Khalid Al-Saei, and together they discussed ways to promote Arabic calligraphy and raise awareness of its importance at the international level.

During the meeting, held today, Thursday, November 3, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO accords great attention to promoting the civilizational aspects of visual arts, especially Arabic calligraphy and Islamic patterns, which are two key components of international art awareness.

The meeting also focused on the possible contribution of prominent plastic artists from the Member States in the project ICESCO is planning to launch aiming to promote Arabic calligraphy through participation that draws inspiration from renewal trends of this art and organizing seminars and contests in the Islamic world.

For their parts, the two artists commended the attention ICESCO gives to Arabic calligraphy and expressed their keenness to cooperate with the Organization to support this field.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Sector of Culture and Communication, and Amb. Khaled Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Abdelmalek Hibaoui, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Tübingen and President of the German-Moroccan Council in Germany, on the occasion of the publication of the new book of the Centre for Civilizational Dialogue entitled, “German Orientalism.”

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at ICESCO’s Headquarters in Rabat, the two parties discussed the book’s overall academic and philosophical vision, its focus on the German orientalist path and its distinctive elements which set it apart from other European orientalist studies, thus constituting a distinguished academic breakthrough that greatly enriches human thought.

The meeting also discussed the leading roles that Muslim communities can play in Europe, in a spirit of a civilizational will that highlights the values of Islamic tolerance and moderation. It also shed light on the efforts undertaken by ICESCO in this regard within the framework of its new vision, which embraces openness and strategic orientations.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, and Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Civilizational Dialogue Centre.

The International Forum held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) on the future of teaching strategies in light of current developments, kicked off on Tuesday, November 1st, 2022, with the participation of a host of education ministers, experts and prominent figures from several countries, to cast light on the importance of adopting modern teaching strategies and explore the new trends in the field.

During the inaugural session of the two-day virtual forum, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered an address, in which he noted that the Organization is particularly keen to bring excellence and creativity to the educational process in order to keep pace with developments to achieve the sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4).
Dr. AlMalik emphasized that we must draw upon the recommendations emanating from the ‘Transforming Education Summit,’ held last September at the United Nations Headquarters, in aligning teaching strategies with current developments mainly by digitizing education, integrating creative skills into school curricula and affording greater attention to distance learning.

“Building a robust educational system requires the decentralization of education and its association with cultural influences to keep pace with developments in society. This should be coupled with the generation of funding means with greater responsiveness to local and global economic fluctuations,” added ICESCO DG.

He concluded his address by noting that ICESCO endeavors to play its part in forging effective partnerships between educational institutions in Member States and donor institutions and providing the desired expertise in developing forward-looking teaching strategies and enabling the exchange of experiences between educational systems in Member and Non-Member States.

For his part, Mr. Marwan Awartani, Palestinian Minister of Education, underlined that school is a second home for students, therefore, it is paramount to invest in teachers, understand the students’ perception of school and develop education strategies accordingly.

In her address, Ms. Mariatou Koné, Minister for National Education and Literacy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, stated that it has become imperative to rethink the future of education after the COVID-19 pandemic and advance education in African countries through the establishment of open educational institutions that use modern teaching methods.

The ministerial session on teaching strategies for quality and inclusive education subsequently began, featuring the intervention of Cheikh Oumar Anne, Senegalese National Education Minister, who detailed the major steps to be followed to develop education, and those of Mr. Kouaro Yves Chabi, Minister of Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education in Benin, and Mr. Flávio Arns, Brazilian Senator, who reviewed their countries’ adopted strategies for reforming education and keeping pace with current developments.

In an address delivered on his behalf by the Ministry’s Secretary-General, Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, Cameroonian Minister of Basic Education, praised the role of advanced educational methods in integrating students and providing the basic requirements for learning national languages and cultures. For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Natatou, Nigerian Minister of National Education, noted that countries have different educational systems and that crises contribute to creating inequalities in education, underscoring his country’s efforts to align education with current challenges.

The second session then started, featuring presentations in which various experts and professors tackled the different applications of modern teaching strategies and the challenges they raise.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received a delegation from the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, headed by Dr. Abdulaziz Almagushi, Deputy Director General of the Foundation.

During the meeting, which took place on Tuesday 25 October 2022 at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and action strategy, which aim at contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the service of Member States and Muslim communities worldwide in the fields of education, science and culture. He also stressed ICESCO’s willingness to cooperate and reach out to all in order to implement innovative programs and projects everywhere.

In his turn, Dr. AlMagushi reaffirmed the Foundation’s readiness to establish fruitful cooperation with the Organization in various fields and disciplines, especially with regard to strengthening civilizational dialogue among peoples.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik and several heads of sectors and directors of the Organization accompanied the delegation on a tour of the youth training incubators and visited the Mishkat room, which is equipped with the latest technologies for holding remote training sessions and workshops.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received M. Badr Alaredh, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Yemen, and his delegation, at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, on Tuesday (25 October 2022).

During the meeting, which saw the participation of Mr. Ezzedine Al-Asbahi, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the Kingdom of Morocco, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG of ICESCO, and several heads of ICESCO Sectors, Departments and Centers, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Yemen in the educational and scientific, cultural and humanitarian fields.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key programmes and activities of ICESCO, particularly youth capacity-building and training on leadership for peace and security as well as space sciences. He also highlighted the major programmes scheduled for implementation in Yemen, most notably the project to address girls’ school dropout, in cooperation with strategic partners.
The heads of sectors and departments also delivered presentations on the potential programmes and projects of cooperation between ICESCO and Yemen, which are designed based on ICESCO’s new vision to meet the priorities and needs of Member States.

For his part, the Yemeni Minister of Justice commended ICESCO’s efforts geared towards supporting its Member States, and highlighted the present needs of Yemen, including youth capacity-building in the field of innovation and modern technology, and building the capacities of judges and members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Yemen in the fields of antiquities, heritage and treatment of detainees. He also requested ICESCO’s technical expertise to help preserve the Court of Aden’s library, which includes a large collection of historical books and manuscripts.

In conclusion, the two parties agreed to start the implementation of a number of joint programmes, in coordination with the Yemeni National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ms. Hiba Nashabe, Secretary-General of the Lebanese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, on Monday 24 October 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat. The meeting explored ways to strengthen cooperation between ICESCO and Lebanon in the Organization’s areas of competence.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik stressed that within the framework of its new vision and strategic orientations, ICESCO seeks to cooperate with various parties in the fields of education, science and culture to serve humanity and face the relevant global challenges, indicating that the Organization is willing to implement its programmes and projects anywhere in the world.

The two parties also discussed the cooperation relations between ICESCO and the Republic of Lebanon, including the signing of a special agreement on humanitarian assistance, in June 2022, to ensure the return of Lebanese students pursuing their studies in Ukraine, who were forced by the security situation to leave to neighboring countries.
The meeting focused on the possibility of cooperation in several programmes and projects on youth capacity-building and training on leadership, innovation, students’ mental health and the inscription of Lebanese heritage in ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.

For her part, Ms. Hiba Nashabe lauded the development and modernization that ICESCO has seen over the past three years, stressing the need to establish a partnership between the Organization and Lebanon in the fields of education, science and culture, indicating that she would exert every effort to finalize the membership of Lebanon in ICESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Omer Faruk Dogan, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Kingdom of Morocco, to discuss cooperation prospects between the Organization and Turkey in the fields of education, science and culture, and the latest developments in the official procedures for the accession of the Republic Turkey to ICESCO.

During the meeting, which took place on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, with the presence of several Heads of Sectors and Directors of Departments and Centers in the Organization, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key aspects of ICESCO’s strategic vision and its strategic orientations, which focus on the Organization’s competencies, and follow the approach of transparency, credibility, and openness to all stakeholders to serve the Member States and the Muslim communities around the world.

ICESCO DG noted that several countries, especially the European ones, had expressed their desire to join the Organization as an observer, for more cooperation with ICESCO in education, science and culture. He highlighted the key programmes, projects and activities that ICESCO implements in cooperation with the competent authorities in its Member States and with the participation of some Turkish experts.

For his part, the Turkish ambassador in Rabat commanded ICESCO’s role, stressing that the Organization is the best platform for cooperation between the countries of the Islamic world, away from political disagreements, and that it is the right way to accomplish cooperation and agreement between these countries in the fields of education, science and culture.

Ambassador Dogan added that he will spare no efforts in speeding up the official procedures for Turkey to join ICESCO and accomplish closer cooperation between the two parties in the Organization’s fields of competence.

A delegation from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with several officials in the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), to discuss strengthening cooperation between the two parties and a joint action plan to implement a package of projects in the fields of education, science and culture to support the efforts of the Islamic world in developing these fields.

The meeting took place on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at IsDB’s headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and saw the participation of ICESCO officials: Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of Science and Technology Sector, and Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Center of Strategic Foresight, and Dr. Mr. Salem Al Habsi, Programme Director at the General Secretariat of National Commissions and conference, and representatives from IsDB: Mr. Amer Bokovic, Acting Director General of the Global Practices and Partnerships Directorate, Mr. Mohamad Shakir Mohamad, Director of the Strategy Department at the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and several heads of departments in the bank.

The meeting touched upon the renewal of the memorandum of understanding signed between ICESCO and the Bank, to include the implementation of a number of programmes and projects in the fields of education, science, technology, innovation, strategic foresight and the promotion of regional cooperation through the transfer of expertise and knowledge exchange by proposing practical projects that meet the needs of the countries of the Islamic world.

The two parties reaffirmed their eagerness for the distinguished relationship between ICESCO and IsDB, and the importance of their cooperation in implementing programmes and projects that serve the Member States. ICESCO delegation reviewed the Organization’s key programmes in the fields of science, which encourage youth creativity and innovation, in addition to highlighting the importance of ICESCO scientific chairs in various prestigious universities in the world to support scientific research, as well as the Strategic Foresight Center’s main projects, studies, conferences, training programmes and workshops to promote a culture of strategic foresight.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to hold meetings at the level of experts, to develop executive plans for some programmes and projects, to be implemented in cooperation between ICESCO and IsDB.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) signed a memorandum of understanding to set a practical framework for partnership, cooperation, coordination and complementarity between the two parties to better serve Muslim countries in various fields.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, OIC Secretary-General, signed the memorandum of understanding, on Tuesday (4 October 2022), at the OIC headquarters, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the presence of several officials, heads of sectors and directors of departments from the two Organizations.

In his statement, OIC Secretary-General reaffirmed that this memorandum of understanding emphasizes the willingness of the two Organizations to promote their partnership for the benefit of Muslim countries, considering that this is a historic day.

He also expressed his sincere thanks and deep gratitude to ICESCO Director-General and his delegation as well as all ICESCO’s staff for their outstanding achievements to serve the Member States in the fields of education, science and culture.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness at the signing of this memorandum of understanding to develop a partnership between ICESCO and OIC, the umbrella Organization, in such a way as to achieve the common objectives of the two Organizations and support the efforts of their Member States in modernizing education, science and culture.

Dr. AlMalik thanked the OIC Secretary-General and all the Organization’s staff for the warm welcome and affirmation of the desire to build constructive cooperation with ICESCO.

The memorandum of understanding aims at promoting cooperation and coordination between the General Secretariat of OIC and ICESCO in the implementation of several projects and programmes in the fields of education, science and culture, disseminating, strengthening and preserving the Islamic values based on moderation, tolerance, civilizational dialogue and peace-building, promoting international awareness of Islamic culture, and encouraging scientific research, innovation, technological development and artificial intelligence to lay solid foundations for knowledge societies.

The memorandum of understanding provides for setting up a committee for cooperation and coordination, which will include experts, officials and the heads of the sectors of partnership, cooperation, education, science and culture, to supervise the approved programmes and activities, coordinate, follow up on their implementation and assess their outcomes.